On another trip to the downtown area Max and Lisa visited two historical sites in downtown Ho Chi Minh City to get a history lesson on the events leading up to Vietnam's Reunification.
Independence Palace was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975, when the South was "liberated" so that it could become part of North Vietnam. After 1975 the Palace became the headquarters of military administration and political consultation in the process of Reunification of North and South as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was at that time that the name of the city changed from Saigon to Ho Chi Minh. Today the Palace is a fascinating historic attraction. This site has many lessons for tourists, not the least of which is that history can be told from many perspectives.
Another lesson in perspective comes from the War Remnants Museum. This is a museum that describes America's "War of Aggression" against North Vietnam. In North America we know it as the Vietnam War. Inside the museum are photographic displays of the effects of Agent Orange, a collection of photos taken by the 137 photographic journalists that were killed between 1955 and 1975 (the American War), and a collection of American military weapons that were left behind during the dramatic withdrawal of American troops. It was a sobering experience.
